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• Why do we have to pay into the new Anti-Weaponization Fund? 29.05.2026 40分

  The President has created a 1.776 billion dollar fund of taxpayer money he can direct to whoever he wants. Huh? How did this happen, and what might happen next? We talk to Pro Publica’s Jesse Eisinger, an investigative reporter who has played a strange role in this whole story.   Listen to our series with Jesse: Why is it so hard to tax billionaires? (Part 1) and (Part 2) Check out the new ProPublica podcast Paper Trail. Support the show!
• Presenting: Family Lore 27.05.2026 34分

  Presenting an episode of Family Lore, a new show on the Audacy network. The granddaughter of a prolific Jewish art collector who fled Europe during World War II embarks on a quest to recover the looted art.
• The many lives of Taiwan 22.05.2026 1時間 6分

  We go deep into the story of Taiwan. How a tiny island escaped demise, chartered a course from colonial subjugation through mass Barbie production and into the technological powerhouse it is today.  The Tiger Leading the Dragon: How Taiwan Propelled China's Economic Rise by Shelley Rigger Get tickets to hear PJ read live! Friends With Words at Roulette
• Why are people excited about nuclear power again? 08.05.2026 49分

  Nuclear energy was a taboo for decades, but it’s coming back, it’ll power AI data centers for Google and Microsoft. What does new nuclear technology look like, and why do the nuclear optimists believe this new tech is superior? Meltdowns, reactors that can fit in your backyard, and one podcaster’s heroic attempt to describe nuclear fission. Rachel Slaybaugh Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow (check out her book Atomic Dreams) Adam Stein Search Engine’s episodes on data centers: Colossus 1 & Colossus 2 Support the show!
• What if the cemetery goes out of business? (classic) 01.05.2026 49分

  We're supposed to be buried there forever, right? Right?? Answers this week from writer David Sloane, who grew up in a cemetery and spent his adult life studying them. The surprising history of the place we go where we die and an answer to what happens when it runs out of money. Is the Cemetery Dead? by David Charles Sloane  Support the show at searchengine.show
• Where’s the best free restaurant bread in America? 24.04.2026 38分

  An enterprising reporter goes on a quest to find the restaurant serving the absolute best free bread in this country, and finds it. She returns to Search Engine with her results.  Read Caity Weaver’s story. Support the show!
• The Cost of War 17.04.2026 48分

  The United States has begun a conflict with Iran that two thirds of the American public does not understand. One question we can try to answer: how much is this conflict costing us? The surprising story of how the government learned to hide the costs of war, and how someone learned to get to the bottom of those costs anyway. Check out Professor Bilmes’ work. Additional listening: our episode on ballooning national debt and why it's a big deal Support the show!
• What we got wrong about GLP-1s 10.04.2026 46分

  Search Engine is breaking its cowardly three-year silence on GLP-1s. We have been curious about them. We have been afraid of getting in trouble. We are no longer afraid. A conversation with Dr. Rachael Bedard about the many mistakes in how the media covered these drugs and what the research shows about their surprising effects.  Dr. Bedard’s story on the rise of Ozempic Support the show!
• The Trial of the Driverless Car 26.03.2026 1時間 3分

  In blue cities throughout the country, unions and politicians are fighting to ban driverless cars. We travel to Boston, where the fight has reached a fever pitch, and where the cars themselves will create some very unusual political alliances. (This is part two of a two part series, listen to the beginning here.) ⁠⁠Support Search Engine!
• Are you a good driver? 23.03.2026 1時間 6分

  The story of how a secret project at Google led to driverless cars on American roads. And, an answer to the question: are the robots actually safer drivers than we are?  Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car , Alex Davies ⁠Support Search Engine!
• Odd Lots x Search Engine 06.03.2026 48分

  This week, we’re sharing an episode from Odd Lots. An interview with The Economist's Mike Bird about how Chinese real estate became the biggest bubble in history. You can find more episodes from Odd Lots here.
• Mysteries of Claude 27.02.2026 48分

  Anthropic hired philosophers to teach its AI to be good. In their tests, the AI blackmailed a human to keep itself alive. Writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus went inside the company to figure out what's going on with Claude, and whether anyone can actually control it.  Read Gideon's story here Support Search Engine!
• Why don’t we eat people? (classic) 20.02.2026 57分

  A question from a four-year-old tips us into an investigation of one of our most fundamental taboos: cannibalism. With help from New Yorker food critic Hannah Goldfield and writer Kelefa Sanneh.
• How Peptides Conquered the Internet 13.02.2026 45分

  Two decades ago, bodybuilders on niche internet forums started injecting peptides. Now they're in the secret mini-fridges of some teenage boys. How did they get there? We track their crooked path from Silicon Valley to jaw-smashing influencers. Check out Jasmine Sun's work (and her piece on peptides) Check out Ezra Marcus' work (and his piece on peptides) Support Search Engine!
• Are flushable wipes actually flushable? 30.01.2026 55分

  A simple question leads us on a journey from the bowels of New York City through the courtrooms of South Carolina to the disgusting truth. Support Search Engine!
• The Venezuelan Curse (Part 2) 20.01.2026 58分

  The conclusion to our story about Venezuela. How a country goes from a prosperous democracy to a poverty-ravaged dictatorship. The End (our 2022 episode on Greenland) The Many Faces of Chavismo - Alejandro Velasco Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse - William Neuman
• The Venezuelan Curse (Part 1) 16.01.2026 1時間 6分

  For the past year, there's been a steady drumbeat of headlines about Venezuela. Now the US has invaded, arrested its president, and installed itself in charge. To understand how we got here, we talked to Venezuelan historian Alejandro Velasco, who grew up there and has spent years trying to understand why a country with so much promise has proven so difficult to govern. The Many Faces of Chavismo - Alejandro Velasco Hard Fork with Casey Newton and Kevin Roose
• The Fediverse Experiment 09.01.2026 38分

  Our present version of the internet is arguably the worst it’s ever been. Which means – any shot at changing things, even an unlikely one – is worth trying out. Three podcasters who’ve spent years critiquing social media companies try to build their own small alternative social media. A collaboration with Hard Fork’s Kevin Roose and Casey Newton: join ⁠The Forkiverse⁠ here.
• Heavyweight x Search Engine 26.12.2025 35分

  As a very special holiday treat, we are sharing a story from one of our favorite podcasts, Heavyweight. Gregor's parents are pushing 90. Gregor wants to move them out of their big Victorian home. But they refuse. So, he's come up with a bold plan. Incognito Mode⁠, our ad-free, no-rerun, bonus episode feed.
• A Perfectly Average Anomaly 19.12.2025 55分

  A man walks into an airport body scanner, and with eerie consistency, the machine flags the exact same part of his body. What could be going on? Search Engine investigates a Bermuda Triangle. Incognito Mode⁠, our ad-free, no-rerun, bonus episode feed.